Dennis Miracles Aboagye, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP), has criticized the judiciary for its handling of criminal cases, saying it is selective and unfair.
Aboagye made the comments on JoyNews' PM Express on Tuesday, ahead of an NPP-organized demonstration. The protest is set to take place on Wednesday, amidst growing concerns over the administration of justice in Ghana.
NPP MP Slams Judiciary Over Case Handling
Aboagye argued that recent developments have deepened concerns about fairness in the administration of justice. He pointed to the handling of high-profile cases involving politicians and public officials, accusing state institutions of unfairly targeting some individuals while treating others differently.
The NPP has accused state institutions of selective justice, citing the cases of Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and former MASLOC Chief Executive Sedinam Tamakloe. Aboagye said concerns about selective justice had become impossible to ignore.
Written to Chief Justice, Received Response
Aboagye revealed that he had written to the Chief Justice to express concerns about what he described as the judiciary's closeness to the Executive. Although the Chief Justice did not personally respond, the Judicial Secretary issued a statement addressing some of the issues he had raised.
Aboagye maintained that the judiciary must remain insulated from political influence. "I am of the view that we need to keep our judiciary very far away from our politics, far, far, away from our politics," he said.
NPP MP Rejects Comparisons with Past Administrations
Rejecting comparisons with past administrations, Aboagye insisted his concerns were based on current developments. "I don't take those excuses of comparisons, those excuses of what was done. I don't care. I am a citizen. I feel that, as it is happening today, I am worried about it. I want to speak up."
Aboagye argued that many people expected to join the protest shared similar concerns. "The 10s and 1000s of people you will be seeing tomorrow on the street are simply saying that the judiciary seems to be romancing with the executive and is making the executive too comfortable."
Selective Justice in Criminal Cases
Pressed to explain what he meant by selective justice, Aboagye pointed to the handling of criminal cases during the legal vacation. "For example, listen, a criminal is a criminal," he said. "Now you have a lot of cases in the court, a lot of criminal cases, a lot of civil cases. Some of them predate even 2020… Every year you go on your legal vacation."
Aboagye questioned why only certain criminal cases had been selected to proceed while others remained pending. "This year, you are going on legal vacation, and you say that even though all of you are being tried for criminal cases, I have selected a few of you, and as for you, you can't go and rest. You must go through the criminal procedure. That is selective justice."
The protest is set to take place on Wednesday, with thousands of people expected to join. The demonstration is a clear indication of the growing concerns over the administration of justice in Ghana. As the judiciary continues to face criticism, it remains to be seen whether the necessary reforms will be implemented to address the issues raised by Aboagye and others.
Source: Joy Online
